Forum Discussion
BCR8TV
Dec 31, 2022Copper Contributor
Latest Microsoft365 Excel will not freeze panes properly
Operations: Selected rows 1 & 2 Attempted to freeze panes Latest Microsoft365 Excel disregarded selection and froze panes beginning at row 12?! Googled issue & attempted suggested fixes: ...
Patrick2788
Dec 31, 2022Silver Contributor
I recommend re-reading Riny_van_Eekelen's solution. Selecting multiple rows or columns prior to Freezing Panes is not recommended. I thought I'd chime in because I've worked with plenty of people in person and through remote and many of them will select multiple rows more often than not (It's one of my Excel pet peeves!).
I've included a gif of this. Freezing panes is all about active cell.
BCR8TV
Jan 01, 2023Copper Contributor
Patrick2788 Riny_van_Eekelen NikolinoDE
Thank you all. I accept the fate that only the 1st line can be frozen until the glitch is fixed.
I'll still be taking it up with my coworker when I return to work on Tuesday. Either way I'll come back and let you all know how it was fix or if it remains a Microsoft faux pas.
Thank you all for your help 🙂
Thank you all. I accept the fate that only the 1st line can be frozen until the glitch is fixed.
I'll still be taking it up with my coworker when I return to work on Tuesday. Either way I'll come back and let you all know how it was fix or if it remains a Microsoft faux pas.
Thank you all for your help 🙂
- Riny_van_EekelenJan 01, 2023Platinum Contributor
BCR8TV I believe you still haven't understood the issue here. It's not a glitch. It's the active cell that is the key factor for determining where to freeze the panes.
Select rows 10 to 15 and observe that A10 is the active cell. Rows 1 to 9 will be frozen. Select rows 15 to 10 (so by dragging upwards), A15 will be the active cell and rows 1 to 14 will be frozen.
Note that when you start selecting rows from the top of the grid, the active cell will be A1. Freeze panes now. Excel can't freeze rows above row 1 as there aren't any. Same thing if you would select the entire column A through D, starting at the left. The active cell will also be in A1 and Excel can't freeze any columns to the left if it.. In stead, it inserts a frozen panes in the center of the visible grid, just as you showed in the screenshot when you answered NikolinoDE . Now, if that is an undesired result, perhaps you can send feedback to MS and suggest that they display warning "Can not freeze panes", rather that insert frozen panes in the center of the grid. But I would take it as a signal that I did something wrong here, as one can't freeze panes at A1. Ctrl-Z and try again.
So, ensure that A1 is NOT the active cell when you freeze panes. Select the cell that should be the top left-hand cell of the moving portion (i.e. not frozen) of the spreadsheet.
Freeze the first two rows? Select A3 and freeze panes.
Freeze the first two columns? Select C1 and freeze panes.
Freeze the first two rows AND the first two columns? Select C3 and freeze panes.
Understand this principle and you will never make the mistake again. Simple as that!
- BCR8TVJan 09, 2023Copper ContributorThank you all!! One of my supervisors showed me what you all meant:
• To freeze row 1&2 put cursor in first cell of row 3 with nothing selected anywhere on page
• Hit freeze panes
• Now row 1&2 are frozen
Apparently, I was over-thinking it. Thank you all for sharing with me & I hope you have a great year ahead!